


Courage Matched Against the Death of the Heart

by fluffybun



Category: The Princess Bride - William Goldman
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-09 00:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4327764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffybun/pseuds/fluffybun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Fezzik will live after dying to protect someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courage Matched Against the Death of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/gifts).



> For Missy, who also hopes that Fezzik lives.
> 
> Numerous references to the excerpts of Buttercup's Baby that was included in later editions of the Princess Bride, particularly the 25th and 30th anniversary edition.
> 
> The title is taken from the title provided for Buttercup's Baby: "Buttercup's Baby: S. Morgenstern's Glorious Examination of Courage Matched Against the Death of the Heart".

_Since we’ve had five chapters since the main storyline (and my thoughts on Morgenstern’s increasingly disjointed writing style will have to wait for the postscript), here is a recap of what’s happened:_

  1. _Fezzik died protecting Waverly as they fell off the mountain into a ravine running away from an evil man._
  2. _Inigo rushed to One Tree Island from Despair to warn Westley and Buttercup about Humperdinck’s plan to kidnap their child as soon as he/she was born, but-_
  3. _He was too late, and now Westley and Buttercup and Inigo, after fighting off Humperdinck’s men, have now found the mountain we last saw Fezzik and Waverly falling from._



***

 “There’s someone down there,” Buttercup whispered faintly as the three of them looked down the cliff. Inigo and Westley, who had seen the body in the ravine but had chosen not to mention it yet, could do nothing but nod.

“Is it-“

“We should go down to be sure,” said Inigo quickly. “Perhaps you should stay here while Westley and I go check-“

 

“I won’t be left behind!” Buttercup looked indignant at the very thought of being left alone. “Besides,” her voice much softer, “I have to know if it is either Fezzik or my Waverly or both of them down there.”

Inigo looked at Westley helplessly. He had hoped to spare Buttercup the possibility of seeing the most assuredly gruesome sight of whatever body had fallen down in to the ravine.

Westley shook his head. “She has the right.”

The three made their way slowly down the ravine, their hearts pounding at what they thought they might find.

***

“Fezzik and Waverly must have fallen,” Inigo said, brushing away what felt like tears as he tried to not look directly at Fezzik’s body. “Look, there are footprints coming from – whoever was chasing them must have taken Waverly away and-“ It was hard to continue his sentences so close to Fezzik-

They already surmised that King Humperdinck must have been behind all this, considering what Inigo had told them on the way to look for Fezzik and Waverly. But to find them after all these years-

“Then she’s all right?”

“Yes, of course” Inigo said. Surely if Waverly were dead they would have left her with Fezzik?

“Then we must go after her,” she said tearfully. “Fezzik would have wanted us to.”

“Of course,” said Inigo and Westley quickly. There was no doubt that they would all leave for Florin as soon as possible.

“But how can we go against a King and his army?” Buttercup’s voice was hopeless as she brushed dirt out of Fezzik’s hair. She remembered well how hard it had been to escape King Humperdinck when he was just a prince, but he must be King now, after all these years.

"We have to find Miracle Max," insisted Inigo. "He can bring Fezzik back to life, no problem. But there's probably a time limit to how long before he can revive someone, and we need to get him to look at Fezzik NOW."

"Where does he live," asked Buttercup as she wiped poor Fezzik's face. Poor Fezzik, she thought, it must have killed him to lose Waverly. 

"In Florin, we found him for Westley" Inigo said, looking around reflexively.

"What are you looking for," said Buttercup, wondering how they could transport Fezzik to Florin.

"Miracle Max will ask for certain ingredients before he makes the resurrection pill," Inigo replied, reaching out to gather some harmless looking grass by the road. "I thought we could get a head start on collecting them."

"A resurrection pill?" Buttercup sounded fairly astounded. She had heard whispers about it in finishing school, so many years ago, but to hear Inigo talk about it so matter-of-factly was astounding.

"Yes," said Inigo calmly, still looking for other ingredients. “The chocolate is very important, at least that’s what Pierre –I mean, the Dread Pirate Roberts- said.”

Buttercup would not be dissuaded from her questions. "And you say my Westley took it?"

"Yes," Inigo replied again, reaching out to gather what looked like a half-eaten mushroom but was in reality a very important ingredient second to the holocaust mud. "After we had dragged him out of the Zoo of Death, we asked Miracle Max and his wife to help us."

"And then he lived?" Buttercup’s eyes were shining with hope, her hands clasped.

Inigo suddenly realized what they were talking about and blanched. This was something Inigo and Fezzik had agreed never to tell Buttercup (for not even Westley could remember most of the details, he being mostly dead when he had heard about it and the flush of love and escaping and well, dying all over again had probably driven all that out of his mind, and then Buttercup had gotten pregnant and everyone had come to talk of quite different, more pleasant things), and now he had just given her a lot of information about the thing they had sworn not to talk about. Fezzik, I need you, he groaned in his head. With you, maybe we wouldn't have told Buttercup that much information because you'd have to think of what rhymed with resurrection and death. (He was drawing a blank.)

"Yes," he said as calmly as he could. "It was a miracle, Buttercup, that's all you need to know. And Westley's still with us now." Which was a miracle in itself, but this was not the time to bring it up. Never was the right time to bring it up, he thought.

Buttercup thought for a moment and nodded quickly, satisfied with his answer. "All right. So then Fezzik-"

"He'll be right as rain and raring to help us find Waverly in no time," Inigo promised as they looked at Westley coming back with- Was that a-

 

***

 

_It’s me again. How many years later and Buttercup still apparently doesn't know how badly Westley was tortured by Humperdinck and the true cause of his dying (again) during their escape. After all that Westley’s been through during the Zoo of Death to being resurrected to fighting with Humperdinck and escaping to the Revenge and dying again in between and being revived again, I wouldn’t blame the guy if he forgot whatever Fezzik and Inigo told him. Willy said they should have told her (and Westley) anyway, and I agree with him. Some things one has to tell the person involved and their spouse, I think, and I’m sure a lot of my readers will feel the same._

_***_

Miracle Max blanched as Inigo and Westley hauled Fezzik onto his floor from what must be the largest wheelbarrow in Florin. “He died again? One cannot have a miracle twice in his life-”

“No,” Inigo said helpfully, hoping that just a few details would be enough for Miracle Max to remember to continue avoiding Buttercup learning more about Westley’s death. “Fezzik and I brought the man who had died years ago, remember? This time Fezzik-“

“-I remember now. But no, not anymore. I told you, I’m retired!” With King Humperdinck in power, there was no point in practicing, especially considering his last great miracle was for a man considered a traitor by the kingdom. Still, Miracle Max felt a twinge of pride seeing the same man he had only given about forty minutes to live with his resurrection pill walking how many years later, with no need to be nudged in a general direction.

“Is there no way to make you reconsider?” Inigo felt helpless. Fezzik had become more than a partner to him ever since their days with Vizzini, those days with Westley and Buttercup and Waverly on One Tree Island. He was the best friend a Spaniard could ever hope to have, especially one who had lived most of his life for revenge.

“No,” Miracle Max said, turning to leave the room. This was his plan, though it was thwarted by a smooth hand the color of wintry cream grasping his arm quickly. He turned back, intending to shake off the hand that was touching his arm, and let out an inaudible gasp at the sight before him.

“Please,” Buttercup said imploringly, looking every inch the most beautiful woman in the world, a feat not beleaguered by the years she had spent having a child and taking care of her, “he has my daughter. Fezzik was the last to see her, he protected her up to his last breath. We love him. We need him.”

“He?” He looked to the man he had resurrected many years ago. “Who took your daughter?”

“Humperdinck.” Westley’s face was dark, his voice tight with anger.

Miracle Max sighed, realizing he really couldn’t turn them away. “… All right. All right, I’ll do it!” He tried his best not to gasp again as Buttercup looked at him, her face made even more beautiful by the deep gratitude that shone in her eyes.

“Good,” said someone else decisively as she stepped into the room. “Shame on you, Max, for trying to refuse them in the first place. We’ll get started immediately – you’ll need to gather up the ingredients again,” she said, nodding to Inigo.

“Of course, we've already started” Inigo said cheerfully, holding up the holocaust cloak that he had thought to bring along. “It’s good to see you well, Valerie.”

***

_I have to laugh at the fact that S. Morgenstern definitely had to mention that Buttercup, even in this tense moment with Miracle Max is still the most beautiful woman in the world and especially after ‘having a child and taking care of her’. Which is of course a statement to be frowned upon now, but this thought seemed to be part of the culture before (and possibly a bias of those doing the ranking of the most beautiful women), much to my ex-wife Helen's chagrin, but I doubt she'll be reading this. If you are, hi Helen, I'm sorry it didn't work out again. Still, clearly Buttercup still kept her beauty to a point to stun people into keeping her the most beautiful even with such noted caveats. Actually, Willy felt that was improbable too – hadn’t any more beautiful women been born yet, he asked – but perhaps they are all still swimming in potential like Buttercup was, once upon a time._

_Willy cheered when Max and Valerie appeared again and I couldn’t help cheering with him too. I made no secret in the last book that I was fond of them, and it’s good to see them alive in the sequel. The best part of it is that yes, Fezzik will come back. There’s no question about it with this kooky couple on the job._

_I chose to omit the gathering of ingredients for the resurrection pill again like in the Princess Bride –and I’m sure that numerous Florin scholars will send a lynch mob after me for this, but this is because we already know that Inigo had succeeded in gathering the ingredients (with Fezzik) before, there’s no way that he and Westley would fail to do so now. Suffice it to say that the holocaust cloak was needed._

_I actually thought that the Florin scholars would send a lynch mob after me for excising this, but was surprised to have their (and Stephen King’s approval) on the excision. Not thinking, I asked why and got a surprising answer._

_It wouldn’t be safe for the tourists of Florin to try and find holocaust mud (and the rest of the ingredients) to make their own resurrection pills. Considering how the landmarks of the Princess Bride are well-visited (including the Cliffs of Insanity, which some brave tourists have dared to climb, thankfully no one has gotten high enough to die when they fall, and the edge of the Fire Swamp, the rest of which is thankfully banned still to visitors), I think this is another good reason to excise this. While I had other reasons to do so, if that one is good enough for Florin scholars and Mr. King, it’s good enough for me._

***

“It is done,” Miracle Max said exhaustedly, placing the resurrection pill on the table. “You must give it to him exactly when you need him awake and not a moment before.”

Buttercup and Westley goggled at the said pill, which resembled the body of a snowman more than a golf ball. “This is it?”

“Yes,” said Miracle Max. “I had to multiply the proportions by a hundred because of his weight and bulk, not to mention the amount of time you will need him alive.”

Buttercup’s hand froze. “But-“ Time they would need Fezzik alive? But then that would mean that after that time, Fezzik would be-

  
Inigo’s hand landed on her shoulder reassuringly. “Buttercup, don’t worry.”

“Inigo…”

“Trust in Fezzik,” Inigo said. “Another miracle will happen. After all, Westley’s still with us, isn’t he?” Westley had only supposed to live for an hour, he remembered, not knowing that he actually was supposed to live for only forty minutes, but he was still in front of them today.

“All right,” Buttercup said bravely.

“Then we must be off,” Westley said, reaching out to take Buttercup’s hand.

***

“We’re here,” Inigo said to the rest of his party as they crouched in the bushes in the palace gardens nearest the throne room. “She must be in there,” he pointed to the throne room. “Humperdinck would be the kind of man to keep his hostage there with him.”

“He wouldn’t have done anything to her, would he?” Buttercup felt she knew how horrible her ex-fiance could be, but surely he wouldn’t harm a child-

“He won’t,” Inigo said reassuringly, even though he knew that Humperdinck would hurt a child and worse, take enjoyment out of it. He nodded at Westley, who looked equally grim.

“Then we must give the pill to Fezzik now,” Buttercup said.

“Yes,” Inigo agreed. The wheelbarrow they had placed Fezzik and the resurrection pill was hard to hide, and they would need Fezzik to break in. This was the time to give it to him.

“But how-“ Buttercup cut her own question off, a question they should have asked Valerie and Miracle Max how many hours ago. Still, it was a question that needed to be asked, and she asked Westley and Inigo now.

“How will we give it to him?”

Westley and Inigo groaned.

***

"I've heard about you," said Waverly, steadily staring down King Humperdinck. Had her mother almost really married this guy? He was nothing compared to Papa, Inigo, and Shade.

"Oh? What have you heard?"

She raised her hand. "Five things." She put down one finger. "One, you're the King of this land."

Humperdinck nodded approvingly. It didn’t matter that he had only gotten the position because he was born to the King and Queen of the land, but it only mattered that he was now the King, after all.

"You found my mother and wanted her to marry you, and she almost did." Another finger. "And then you killed my father, but he came back to life and undid your work."

Humperdinck's smile on his face seemed fixed.

"And my mom chose my dad over you-"

“Stop! STOP!”

Waverly felt glee at making this annoying man shout.

***

_For all that Waverly's been through and at her tender age, she has enough wit to put down Humperdinck while waiting for her parents and Inigo to save her. Is that Buttercup or Westley's trait in her? It's probably a mixture of both. I wonder who told her about everything? Did Fezzik tell her in rhymes?_

_When I was reading this to Willy, he wanted to know how badly King Humperdinck looked. I reminded him of the picture we saw of King Humperdinck in Florin, which would have been painted around this time, and he agreed that King Humperdinck didn't look at all like a King being sassed by a young girl._

_Anyway, let's get back to the story._

***

"Look, little girl-"

"Waverly," she said flatly. 

"...Waverly," Humperdinck conceded, "Little girls are supposed to be quiet and meek."

Waverly looked up at him incredulously. 

"You are my hostage," he said patronizingly, "Though I expect that neither of your parents will come and rescue you. Especially now with that giant dead."

"EXCUSE ME?" Who did this person think he was, Waverly angrily thought. He was mean! And Shade- Shade had- no, she wouldn’t think about it. Shade would come to save her, along with Inigo and Papa and Mama. He always came to save her, she knew it.

"They'll have enough trouble as it is." he said, a sadistic gleam in his eyes. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PARENTS?"

He shook his head dismissively. "Oh, just some things."

***

“How did you give me the pill before,” Westley asked calmly. “Maybe it’s the same way.”

“We just dropped it in your mouth,” Inigo said, “but yours was the size of a golf ball. We can’t do that with-“ he gestured again to the resurrection pill they had with them.

After a long period of time, Buttercup spoke.

“Maybe we should give it to him piece by piece?”

They looked at each other. They had no more time to lose.

“As long as you get chocolate coating on each peace,” Inigo conceded as they began to break it into pieces.

“Will we have enough?”

“Don’t worry,” Inigo said reassuringly. “Valerie promised me she’d make the chocolate extra thick this time.”

***

It had taken them the best part of the next hour to get all of the resurrection pill down Fezzik’s throat and it was a miracle that no one had discovered them in the palace gardens at this time. Fezzik, thought Inigo, this has to work. We need you, he thought, I need you. We’re supposed to live long lives together.

Buttercup and Westley were silent as they watched Inigo place the last bit of the resurrection pill down his throat.

“Kee- KEED!“

The three stared at each other, hardly daring to believe-

“Inigo! We have to find Keed!”

Inigo, unable to help himself, hugged his friend.

“Yes, Fezzik, we do. And I’m glad to have you along.”    

And with that, after some tears, the four broke into the castle to find Waverly.

***

_After thirteen long chapters, one unexplained Inigo Fragment (still unexplained as of this point), three (excised) rants about trees and deforestation (and one on the poor health care of Florin):_

_FEZZIK LIVES. And like Westley, there’s no way Morgenstern’s going to make Fezzik die afterwards. FEZZIK LIVES. And like Westley, there’s no way Morgenstern’s going to make Fezzik die afterwards. He didn’t go through the Zoo of Death like Westley did and have his life sucked out of him! And it’s Fezzik. That has to be enough._

_But of course, there’s still Waverly to rescue. Let’s get back to that now-_

**Author's Note:**

> FEZZIK LIVES. (At least I believe he does, as does William Goldman.)
> 
> Someday, maybe we'll get the real Buttercup's Baby. (Maybe by the time the 50th anniversary edition is released?)


End file.
